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Joined: 02 Jul 2014 Posts: 20

Check with your club many have restriction in shot size. Yes, the Herters pattern well for me a 6 1 oz is more than enough for pheasants wild or liberated. Hell I shoot a 28 with 7/8 8s on most of the preserve hunts, the dead pheasants can't tell the difference.

Pheasant and most other game birds have very reptilian nervous systems. Their nervous systems can absorb punishment that would just about kill most mammals of the same approximate body mass.

A dense pattern of #8 or even #9 shot placed in the head/neck area of a pheasant at fairly close range will usually dump the bird to the ground very handily. Doesn't matter if it's wild or pen raised. The entire forward nervous system is pretty much wrecked. The bird might get up and run around, but it's sensory system is gone. It will not go far and will die very shortly. Anyone who has beheaded chickens for table fare has probably witnessed the same phenomenon.

Unfortunately, any pheasant hit further back or at longer ranges than in close with the same pattern of #8 or #9 shot might appear to have not been hit and will fly off to die a long, lingering death from tissue damage and the resulting infection. Sometimes a pheasant which has been hit further back with the same pattern gets stunned and drops to the ground like it is dead in the air. It will then quickly come to and run off like nothing happened only to die the same long lingering death.

Anyone who insists on using loads of such small pellets should also absolutely refuse to shoot at any pheasant which is likely not to be centered by the pattern in the head/neck area at close range. I frankly have never hunted with or known anyone who has that kind of discipline and will power--especially if they've traveled far to hunt. Most all of us will take whatever shot is presented at a legal bird. Human nature. Just how it is.

A one ounce load of 6 shot will usually cleanly kill most pheasant if the center of the pattern hits the bird forward of center from the side or from a quartering angle out to about 30 yards or so. Pheasant hit straight from the rear by the same pattern of #6 shot will often drop a leg and fly well off before they come to ground. Too many of these birds get up and run off never to be found. Once again, death comes slowly and miserably to these unfortunate birds.

IMO, any game bird deserves a quick clean death. I suggest any of us who bird hunt do our best to deliver such a death. Please use a load with enough shot and with enough individual pellet mass to cleanly do the job under the conditions you find yourself in. Also please be honest with yourself about your own shooting abilities. That means most of us should forget about using loads of #8 0r #9 shot. Not enough pumpkin to do the job every time under all conditions for us. Just how it is.

The "get a better dog" idea for running wounded pheasants is good in principle but doesn't work as well as we like. I have a better dogs. I have seen them run down unseen pheasant 400+ yards out. (On one occasion I followed, running after the dog, so I KNOW how far it was.) I have also seen air washed birds drop to the ground and have dogs...labs, springers, walk by without gaining the scent. This year I hunted the cold storm in SD for ten days. It was always very windy. Dogs universally had trouble tracking due to the wind.

Back to the subject. I agree pheasants are larger birds and I think a minimum of #7 shot is indicated. For wild birds I generally use 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 oz -4-5-6 shot. Sot size is a lot less important under 30 yards. People who use small gauge guns should be shooting within that distance.

I think gunners lose a lot more birds than they will admit. I have records and see how that is common. The best we can do is to use a well trained dog and respectable loads in or guns.

Respect those tough living and tough flying roosters!

Guest

Couldn't agree more with the "use enough gun & load" type comments. The trifecta is completed with the addition of a good dog.

Member Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 829 Location: SW Ohio

Well, had our first preserve hunt yesterday, had 4 birds released plus there were residual birds in the field. About 35 degrees and a 10-15 mph north wind. Just took the young dog, hoping that without the competition of the other dogs she would be easier to keep close. Worked for the most part, but when she had a bird on the run there was no stoping her and the first 3 bird flushed a bit too far out. We were able to mark them, re-flush and get 2 of them. I became better able to read her body language and get there to change direction before she was too far, or too committed to a running bird. Plus just kept her closer, in general. 4th bird,a cock, flushed within 20 yards and I muffed the mount due to the whistle and the sudden flush. Shot twice and felt good about the first shot but the bird flew out into the harvested corn field. I figured it would be wounded and there was a nice wind to help her find the scent. So I sent her on a blind just downwind of the suspected area. It was fun watching her on a direct line then suddenly yank herself into the wind as she winded the cripple and brought it to hand.

Stopped back at the truck to get us both some water, unload the birds and reload on shells. I need a good upland vest, the dove belt I used was hard to keep on my waist with the weight of the birds in there, (would help if my waist was smaller-LOL)
Then we did another strip looking for residuals, saw a cock 30-40yards away running down the path before she did, so we worked the other side of the strip. She flushed a nice rooster with a sweet left to right presentation, this time I took a tad more time, got a good mount, good focus and smacked the bird. I did forget to hit the sit whistle but she waits till the gun shot and sees the falls then she went. Need to remember to hit that sit whistle. Hopefully she will learn to sit to flush before too long. She does know that when she hears a shot and sees a fall to sit and watch.
A bit later we got another hen up in good range, easy shot. And finally we were about to quit and was finishing the final cover strip. She was getting tired, but at the end of the strip she fired up scenting back and forth and finally flushed a cock straight up. As he changed direction in the strong wind, I missed then he flew over me down wind like a rocket and I got him going away. I did get a nice whistle sit and steady to shot, then released her for the retrieve.
The hardest part was the running birds, would have been nice to have a blocker, but we did end up with 6 birds. So all in all I think we did ok. I 1 1/8oz of 6s at 1295 did a great job on the final 3 birds. Next time I would probably put 6s in the first barrel and 5s in the second. I feel bad I did forget to put the gun in the picture. I used my 16ga Beretta SXS Silverhawk. First birds I have ever taken with a SXS.

Thanks for all the suggestions,

Nate

Final result

Yeee Hawww !!
Great post and thanks for sharing

NEAT!!

Member Joined: 27 Jun 2012 Posts: 1113

Great report on your hunt. Were your 1 1/8 oz #6's hand loaded or factory? Sound awfully close to the Fiocchi GP 16 ga load.

Member Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 829 Location: SW Ohio

16gaguy I agree that we should make it as easy as possible for our dogs to work. I don't run my dogs in standing corn, and try to keep away from other standing crops. It's difficult to see your dog and sometimes control them. We don't need to do that.

Preserve birds are wonderfully easier than wild birds. Still, making it easy for the dog is a good deal. Lots of us train dogs on preserves.

I was given Heidi by a close friend who was dying from stomach cancer and knew He'd never have the time and energy needed to properly train her enough to develop her into the bird dog she could have been. I was green as grass as well when it came to training bird dogs. So Heidi and I sort of trained each other.

It wasn't pretty, but in time, we two became one hell of a bird hunting team. We both made mistakes, and we both learned as we went. Few who hunted with us understood the bond we shared, the sense of commeraderie between us, or the method in our madness. But they also could not deny how effective we two were in the field. Polished no. Successful yes.

I'd do it a lot differently today, but I'll always cherish the time I had with my Heidi. Those were the best years of my life.

Member Joined: 02 Sep 2010 Posts: 829 Location: SW Ohio

This dog in my picture (Morgan) is my 5th generation of labs. I am quite proud of them and their accomplishments, especially the ones owned by other people who call me singing their praises. Nothing warms my heart more than providing another person with a "special" dog. There was never a dog more special than this dog's grandmother. Field trial placements with just me training on mostly state land. Was probably the best dog I will ever own. Grand-daughter is off to a very good start though and her mother in no slouch.
I do not do much upland training as the only upland hunting in my area is at the preserve. We mostly train for duck hunting and trials. AS 16gg said we work the field not pretty but effective.

Although, I may be doing more upland, I just found out today that my duck sweet spot is no longer available. Farmer's hand are tied by bureaucrats. Just like a punch to the gut. Hunted that land for at least 10 years. Morgan's great grandmother hunted there. Just sucks when people in administrative roles decide things that they know nothing about. Not sure I will even go out for opening day Saturday. Totally bummed. Arkansas anyone?? Over New Years??

Nate